The Internet Guide To White Children And Youth Who Have Been Victims Of Racial Crimes.

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Corrie "Punky" Gustavson

Corrine Gustavson (January 2, 1986-September 8, 1992), nicknamed "Punky," was kidnapped on the morning of September 6, 1992. She was found dead two days later in an Edmonton truckyard, about nine kilometres from her home. She was three-foot-10, and weighed 17.5 kg (38.5 lbs) at the time of her death.

The truck under which she was found belonged to her uncle, who was originally charged with the crime and spent 11 years in prison. However, DNA proved that it was not, in fact, her uncle that had sexually assaulted and killed her. DNA linked the crime with Clifford Sleigh. Clifford Sleigh was found guilty of first-degree murder, kidnapping, and aggravated sexual assault. He automatically received a life sentence, with no chance of parole for 25 years. He was charged on March 14, 2003. He admitted to the crime of rape, but not to murder. Sleigh was already in prison at the time when he was charged with Punky's death.

Gustavson lived in Edmonton, Alberta with her parents in a Northeast town housing unit. She had a friend, Lindsay Moosewah Knott, that was out in the front yard playing with her, who witnessed the abduction. The case was shown on Unsolved Mysteries where it was believed that the killer of Corrine also abducted a young girl named Mandy.

The cause of her death was described as being "blunt force genital trauma." Smothering was also described as a likely cause.